Jig



July Z6, 1932., -G W, BURR 1,869,184

J IG

Filed June 14, 1950 VvE/wok` ,By G. W BURR A TTORNEY Patented July 26, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT sie GEORGE W. BURR, or LONG ISLAND CITY, NRW YORK, lAssIGNOR To BELL TELEPHONE LABORATORIES, INCORPORATED, vor New YORK, AN. Y., A CORPORATION or NRW YORK Appncatin med :rune 14,

This invention relates to jigs and particularly to a jig employed in aligning the contacts of relay Contact springs.

With the advent of the use of precious 8 metal as contact material, it is essential Lthat contacts be made as small as possible, consistent with the purpose for which the contacts are employed. The use of relatively small contacts necessitates an accurate alignv ment thereof in order that oppositely ldisposed and cooperating contact elements will, under all operating conditions,` meet a sufficiently great area of contact to insure perfect electrical engagement.

The use of modern equipment in the manufacture o f contact springs for relays and the like has made it possible to accurately locate the contact elements on the spring members relatively to one edge of the spring, but asV the width of the springs varies at times within relatively small limits it has been found that when the contact springs are assemblechcooperating contact elements do not line upv as accurately as is desired for perfect operating efficiency.

It is accordingly, an object of this invention to provide means for insuring an accurate alignment of the contact elements employed on contact springs prior to the assembly of the pileeup. l v

rIhis object is attained in accordance with a feature of the invention bythe provision of a jig comprising a fixed wall and a mov- 4 5 able Wall, and means for moving themovable wall in a direction towards the fixed wall'. The contact springs are placed loosely in the channel formed by the two walls of the jig and the movable wall is forced againstv the spring edges, moving the springs into engagement with the Hat surface of the fixed wall.

A resilient facing for the movable lwall, is provided to insure the applicationfof pressure tothe springs of small width as well as to the wider springs. Y ,j

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of means for applying vertical pressure to the spring pile-up after the alignmentof the springs has been effected in 50 order to hold the kspring elements securely in 1930. t serial No. 461,210.

position and allow the assemblyscrews to be drawn up. i "j i l l The invention willbereadily understood fromitheofollowing detailed description made with referenceto the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a general elevation` of thel jig embodying the features of theinvention and the equipment employed` in operating it;

Fig. 2 is afviewtalen along the line 22of Fig'l` and looking in the direction of the ar'- rows; Fig. Sis a view of the mechanism employedv in applying the' vertical pressure; `to the springpile-up; F ig.4 is a. top plan view of theV jig with Vthe elements of a spring .pileupinposition. f

' A" work benchorV table 5 of any suitable type isV shown supported by the legs, 6, 6". The fiXedwall-s 7 of the jig are shown as inte# 'gralN rupriglits of the base-plate V8 which is made fast to the table 5 by means of the screw the cylinder 14 which `is pivotally supported at "15 to a vertical eXtension'16 of thetable 5. A restoring spring'lhas its ends secured to the upright elements 12 and 16 respectively.

Located-conveniently above the table 5-is a cylinder "18 which is supported in any suit# able manner to a supporting member 19 and in which the piston 20 is adapted to be moved. At the end of the piston rod 21 there' is secured a. substantially U-shaped operating member'22 which is provided with two hori# ,90

zontally extending pressing membersV 28. Retractile springs 24 havetheir ends secured to the rigid mounting member 19 U-shaped plunging element 22. f

Suitably located beneath .the work bench 5 isa compressed air .tanki25`provided with a valve 26 and coupling 27 to which a'feed hose 28is secured. The feed hose 28 leads to Aa\two-way valve 29 `shown in section Fig. 2.

The valve` 29 comprises essentially the and the valve heads 30 and 31 keyed in any suitable manner to the shaft 32 to one end of which is secured a pinion gear 33.

A foot treadle 34 is pivotally mounted on the rotatable elementy 35 which is housed in the floor bracket Vor support 36. The'long arm 37 of the Vfoot treadle 34 has integrally formed therewith at its end an arcuate rack, or geared element 38 which meshes with the pinion gear 33. y

The operationv of the system disclosed is as follows: a set of contact elements or spring pile-up 40, loosely assembled by" means of screws 4l, is placed in each of the jig channels formed by the Walls 7 and 10, it being understood that normally the movable walls 10 are in their retracted positions due to the action of springs 17. Assuming the Valve 26 of the compressed a-ir tank 25 to be in the supply position, the foot treadle 34 is moved downwards by foot pressure. Pivoting at 35, the treadle arm-37 moves upwardly causing the rack 38- to rotate the pinion gear 83. The shaft 32 to which the pinion gear is secured thereupon rotates in its bearings causing ay corresponding. movement of the valve headsy 30 and 31. The outlet 44 thereupon comes into alignment with the feed hose 45 permitting a supply of compressed air to traverse the conduit-s 46 and 47 and impinge'on the heads of the pistons contained in the cylinders 14. The piston rods 13 experience the usual outward thrust and push the movablefwalls 10 up against the spring pile-ups 40. The Vsurface of the stationary walls 7 are machined to present a perfectly smooth face tothe edges of the springs constituting the pile-ups 40. The movable walls 10 are faced with a resilient material 60, such; as leather, in order that any variation in the'width of the springs will not defeat the purpose of the jig. By this means pressure is exerted upon the narrow springs as well as upon the wider ones.

The movement of the walls 10 forces the spring elements flush with the. surface of the stationary walls 10 causing them to become perfectly aligned. It'follows that since, as

hereinbefore stated, the contactelements 50r can be accurately located on the springs with respect to the inner edges` which fare the edges now in contiguity with the stationary walls-'7, by accurately aligning these edges the associated contact elements 50 will be in accurateV alignment.

As the foot treadle 34is further depressed, the valve' head 29 closes` the outlet to feed hose 45 and the' outlet .44 is advanced toa position opposite to the opening in feed hose permitting a supply of compressed air to traverse'the conduit 56 and enter the cylinder 57 to cause a vertical downward movement of the piston 20 and a corresponding loutward thrust of the U-shaped compressing element 22. e

'the piston rods 13 are forced outwardly.

Upon return to normal of the foot treadle 34 the retractile springs 17 and 24 restore the movable walls 10 and raise the plunger element 22 permitting the removal of the spring pile-up as a unit, the spring elements of which are in perfect alignment.

It is to be understood that applicant does notintend to belimited to the specific form of operating'mechanism disclosed, itbeing y obvious that numerous other methods of actuating the movable walls 10 and plunger element 22 maybe resorted to without departing from the` spirit or scope of his invention.

e What is claimed is:

1. A jig for aligning the elements .of a

spring pile-up comprising a stationary wall n and a laterally movable wall between which the spring elements are placed, a vertically movablemember, and means for causing said laterally'movable wall and said vertically movable member to be actuated in sequence to effect a rigid alignment of said spring elements against said stationary wall.

2. A jig for aligning the elements of a Y spring pile-up comprising a stationary wall and a laterally movable wall between which the spring elements are loosely confined, a vvertically movable member, means for causing saidv laterally movable wall and said vertically movable member to be actuated in sequence to produce a lateral and a vertical pressure upon the spring elements and a foot treadle for controlling the sequential operation of said means. i

3. A jig for aligning the elementsv of a spring pile-up comprising a stationary wall and a laterally movable wall between which the spring elements are loosely confined, means for actuating said movable wall to cause the spring elements to be moved later- Y ally and held in alignment against said stationary wall, a vertically movable compressing member, means for actuating said vertically movable compressing member to cause it to engage and compress the spring elements, and means for actuating both said f' actuating means in sequence.

4. A jig for aligning the'elements of a spring pile-up comprising a movable wall anda stationary wall between which the elements of the pile-up are looselyi'confined, a

compressing member located in superposed relation to the space confined by said walls, a foot treadle, means effective upon the actuation of said foot treadle for causing the movable wall to approach the stationary wall to exert a lateral pressure upon the elements conned therebetween and for moving said compressing member vertically between said walls to exert a pressure upon the elements conined therebetween, and means effective upon the release of said foot treadle for restoring said movable wall and said compressing member to their normal positions.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 13th day of June, 1930.

GEORGE W. BURR. 

